Four tuners for TiVo Premiere Elite
August 15, 2011
By Colin Mann
Leaked details of TiVo’s Premiere Elite DVR suggest the device will feature four tuners. According to documents filed with the FCC, the Premiere Elite will operate (record or view) up to four shows simultaneously. It is THX-certified and fully compatible with 1080p/1080i video.
Destined for the retail market, the Premiere Elite has two terabytes of recording capacity, equivalent to 300 hours of HD programming. It supports networking with other TiVo boxes for content sharing and is MoCA compatible.
The digital-only DVR requires connection to a cable or fibre optic (FiOS) service, a digital cable decoder, and a TiVo subscription. A broadband connection is required for the TiVo service. The device will not work with analogue cable, an over-the-air HD antenna, AT&T U-Verse or DirecTV or other satellite services.
The Premiere Elite has one RJ45 Ethernet connection and an optional TiVo wireless adapter is available for purchase separately.
No further details of pricing or availability were revealed, but the timing of the filing suggests an autumn launch. Based on current TiVo devices, with the base Premier costing $99 and the Premier XL $299, the Elite could be on offer at $600 to $800, given the quad tuner and the two terabyte storage.
Observers have questioned the market for such a product, suggesting that few consumers would considering paying that price for a TiVo and even fewer who would actually use all of the features the Elite incorporates.